Amusement apparatus



4 Sheets-Sheet 1 E. E. KENNEDY AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed March 18 1922 5 m a m w a N 7 mm E 5 m v T wfl m M w M r \v m W a mm B a E Q\ N3 7 l. E m

WM) r 1 N\\ W a N EN Get. 28 1924.

EaWardE [fanned msmz'azczvr Patented Get. 28,

l T E 5;;

EDWARD E. KENNEDY, OF BRIDGE-TON, NEW JERSEY.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

Application filed March 18,1922. Serial No. 544,811.

To all whom it may concern: a

Be 1t known that I, EDWARD E. KENNEDY,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeton, in the county of Cumberland and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amusement Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to amusement apparatus of the type known as racing apparatus, which may be used as a means of competitive sport and exercise, and which is especially adapted for use at pleasure resorts, parks, etc. I

These objects, and other advantageous ends which will be described hereinafter, I attain in the following manner, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in wh1ch V Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved amusement apparatus,

Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation of the apparatus, taken on the line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 8 is an end view or front elevation illustrating a fragmentary portion of the apparatus embodying a plurality of units,

!Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view showing a portion of a track of one unit and indicating the manner of actuating the various switches for closing the circuits to the lamps, the parts shown being the switch at the start ing and finishing point, v v

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional elevation taken on the line of the section line 55 of Figure 2 of the drawings,

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary hori- Zontal sectional elevation taken on the plane of the line 6-6 of Figure 2,

Figure 7 is a sectional elevation corresponding to Figure 5 but taken on the plane of the sectional line 7-7 of Figure 2,

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing the manner of mounting a miniature bicycle upon an endless carrier or chain serving as means for causing the travel of the miniature objects or bicycles around the various tracks, and

Figure 9 is a plan view showing the wiring diagram and the relation thereof to the track of a unit.

Referring to the drawings in detail, in which for the sake of illustration is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, and in. which like characters d gnate cone:

sponding parts throughout the several views) my improved amusement apparatus, is shown as comprising a series-of units A, B, C, etc; it being understood that any desirable number of units may be employed and since each unit is of the same construction, a description of one will suflice.

An elongated table or board 10 supported upon corner legs 11 is arranged to simulate or depict a race track or speedway in miniature and each table, suitably constructed of one or more sections, is provided with a continuous slot 12 through the same, said slot being in the form of an oval correspondingly elongated. The table further includes bottom walls 13 arranged adjacent each end and to which the top 10 is secured in spaced relation through the medium of suitable spacing members or blocks 14 at the ends of the top 10 and at points spaced therefrom adjacent to said ends. The legs 11 are suitably braced to the table bottom walls 13 and may be anchored to the floor in any suitable manner such as indicated in the drawings, diagonal braces'15 being shown extending between the free inner ends of the bottom walls 13 and said legs.

A shaft 16 is journaled vertically at one end of the table or track between the top and bottom walls 10 and 13 and has mounted thereon a sprocket wheel 17; the sprocket wheel being confined between the spacing members 14 and having trained thereon an endless carrier or chain 18, the laps of which operate through slots 19cut in the inner spacing members or walls 14 at each end of the track. A shaft 20 is similarly mounted at the other end of the track or table, except that it is projected downwardly and suitably journaled in a bearing mounted on the floor as indicated at 21 and has fixed thereto a sprocket wheel 22 around which the endless.

sented in the present instance as a bicycle 23,

preferably of the racing type and adapted to travel with the carrier around the slot 12 of the track. In order to mount the miniature blcycle in position, the endless carrier or chain 19 has one of its links produced with a plate 24 having spaced uprights 25 pror fl d with a cross conn c g p n 26 o which which extends from the lamp to the terminal of the switch blade 43. A conductor 56 leads from the other terminal to the other side of the batteries and has interposed in the connection, a control switch 57 for. the entire system. The lamp 51 is connected in series with the lamp 47 through themedium of conductors58 and 59 as shown; the lamp 48 is cut in on the conductors and 56 through the medium of the wires 60 and 61; the lamp 49 is cut in on the conductors 55 and 56 through the medium of the wires 62 and 63 and the lamp 50 by means of the wires 64 and 65, each including the companion switch by which the adjacent lamp is controlled. I

The pedals 37 of the various bicycles 35 are normally locked in position or held against movement by levers 66 fixed to a common shaft 67 journaled in bearings 68 upon the floor beneath the drive sprockets of the several bicycles 35 so as to engage the pedals in the manner shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings. It will be observed the shaft 67 is common to all of the bicycles 35 so that the levers 66 can be simultaneously controlled as through the medium of a throw lever 69 mounted at one end of the shaft whereby the pedals may be simultaneously released to insure that all operators of the bicycles or riders acting as contestants will start in unison. In this connection it is pointed out the throw lever 69 is designed to be controlled or released by an official starter so as to insure that the apparatus will serve as a proper test for the efficiency and endurance of the contestants.

In the use and operation of the device, the contestants are seated upon the saddles of the bicycles 35 and the miniature bicycles 23 are moved by propelling the pedals so that all of them will be disposed adjacent to the start and finish line designated by the signals 47. In this position the uprights 25 will form engaging members to swing the switch blades 43 into engagement with the terminals 45 and close the electrical circuits including the source of energy to the lamps 47 and 51; thus showing that all of the contestants are ready to start; it being understood that the switches 57 have been previously closed and the pedals are so set as to be located in similar positions when engaged by the holding or locking devices constituted by the levers 66 and their controlling means and also that the miniature bicycles will be positioned as shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive of the drawings. The pedals are then released and the various unit lamps 47 and 51 will be extinguished as soon as the engaging or abutment members 25 pass and release the switches. As the bicycles are propelled by the various persons seated upon the same, the miniature bicycles will be moved to traverse the track or circuit thereof and in passing the various switches and slgnal devices located at the first quarter,

second quarter and third quarter of the circuits, willfclose said switches and the circuits controlled thereby through the source of energy 54, thus illuminating the respective lamps. These switch areinterposed in the paths of the miniature bicycles of each unit and as theminiature bicycles pass they engage the switches and temporarily close the same to cause theflashing of the adjacentlamps and will be automaticallyu'eleased and the'lamps extinguished.

As the miniature bicycles approach the starting points, the one-first arriving at the finish line willagain actuate the corresponding switch so as to close the circuits through the lamps 47 and 51 whereby the winner will be indicated. Thus, it will be seen that this device afiords not only amusement but exercise which is asource of both pleasure and competitiveeffort, the exercise being healthful. large imitation bicycles upon which the various persons are seated and between the driving means and the driving means to the carriers or belts 18, is of such character that the bicycles will be operated for some time, say one minute, in order to cause the miniature bicycles to encircle the tracks so that the miniature devices will move relatively slow while the speed at which the mechanism is driven is comparatively high; thus rendering it possible to clearly discern the movement and positions of the miniature bicycles, which serve as indicators of the relative competitive efforts of the contestants instead of permitting said devices to race in such a manner to render their relative positions indeterminable.

While I have described my invention as taking a particular form, it will be understood that the various parts of my invention may be changed without departing from the spirit thereof, and hence I do not limit myself to the precise construction set forth, but consider that I am at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Amusement apparatus consisting of a series of tables having endless trackways of equal length; endless carriers mounted to travel under the trackways; toy racing objects connected with the carriers and adapted to travel in the trackways; means for imparting motion to the carriers; a series of pedal actuated sprockets; a second series of sprockets, each operatively connected with a sprocket of the first series; a shaft carrying a series of levers each adapted to engage a pedal; means for actuating the shaft whereby the pedals may be simul The reducing gear between the 

